On Wednesday, April 22, Manual hosted guest speaker Perris Jones during Crimson Hour. Jones is a former University of Virginia (UVA) running back who suffered a career-ending spine injury in a game against the University of Louisville (UofL) on Nov. 9, 2023. He went into emergency surgery at a UofL Health Hospital and spent around three weeks recovering at the UofL Frazier Rehabilitation Institute. He spoke about his athletic and personal journey as well as how faith and determination can lead to success.
Jones was born and grew up in a small town near Sarasota, Fla., and his mother raised him. At the start of high school, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he lived with his father and played running back at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. He ended up earning a spot as a walk-on at UVA and after a coaching change, received a scholarship and was named starting running back in 2022 for his senior season.
Jones started for the 2022 season and the beginning of the 2023 season until his injury sidelined him for good. However, he has chosen to utilize this opportunity and has found a new path in life. He graduated from UVA with a Bachelors in African American Studies and English and a Masters in Educational Psychology. He now travels around the country as a motivational speaker, has a memoir coming out soon, is developing a non-profit organization and is currently earning his PhD in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development at UofL.
Jones spoke to Manual students about his athletic journey and how it has led him to where he is today. He highlighted the importance of perseverance and trusting in the path that you are on. Jones also encouraged students to try to define their lives outside of school and sports and figure out who they are beyond their activities and material possessions.
“As I’m going through the surgeries and staying in the hospital, I realize how much I have to be grateful for. Oftentimes, we think so much about what we’ve lost that we don’t realize what we have. It really kind of put things in perspective for me and kind of shifted my focus, ” Jones said.
After sharing his story, Jones opened the floor to student questions. He was asked about what he liked about living in Virginia and what he learned about himself from his injury. One student asked him why he chose to pursue his PhD at UofL.
“Like I said, I’m a big person of faith, and I always carry the saying with me that wherever your friction point is, wherever your adversity lies, your next step is right beyond it. My life changed at UofL, right? So I think it’s only fitting that I take my next step here,” Jones said.
Jone’s session was well attended and students gained valuable insights from his story.
“He shared a lot of vulnerable moments from his life, lots of valuable lessons about discipline and perseverance. It was really inspiring,” Elliot Dotson (12, HSU) said.
Jones taught Dotson and other Manual students about the power of discipline and motivation and the importance of trusting the path that they are on. He encouraged them to see setbacks in their lives as opportunities and to reframe their hardships. Jones’s book, “From Ashes to Endzone: The Fight for Identity, Faith, and a Future Bigger,” is set to release on Amazon on June 14.
